What is a grid scan?
A grid scan measures where a business ranks in Google’s local results from a grid of separate geographic points — commonly 49, in a 7 by 7 pattern — and draws the result as a map rather than a single number.
What it costs
Commercial tools charge for grid scans by the scan or by the point. The one we send operators is free to them. What matters more than the price is that the method stays the same every month, so one scan can be compared with the next.
When it comes up
Before hiring anyone, and monthly afterwards. Green near the yard and red further out is a common starting pattern, and it is invisible if you only ever search from your own driveway. Ours runs through Google’s Places API, 7 by 7 with the points three miles apart unless a service area needs wider, and the same spacing every month. The Places API is not the Maps app, so a single point can read differently from what you see on your phone.
Related terms
- Map pack — The three local business results Google shows above the links.
- Google Business Profile — The free Google listing that feeds the map pack.
Free audit
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- Your website and how it books
- Your Google profile and reviews
- Where you show up when people search
- Whether your market is open